Category Archives: admissions

admissions, college planning, college prep

Is Military College Right for Your Student?

 

military college
Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

I recently had a discussion with an admissions officer regarding military colleges. The conversation arose because he had read my blog post “Motivating an Unmotivated Student”. In it I discussed my son’s college journey from high school, to the Marines, to college. He expressed his concern that many students are choosing the military as an option after high school when students who aspire to college can get the best of both worlds—a military college.

Twenty years ago, my son was in NJROTC and I was well acquainted with the service academies, but no information was given to him or to us about military colleges. The recruiters, however, were a constant presence in the unit. They have the cadets take the ASVAB test and use the test to draw them into military service. For some students, the military is an excellence choice. For others, a military college might be a better option.

What is a military college?

According to The Association of Military Colleges and Schools, “Military schools have a unique culture that is built on tradition and proven practices.  Students wear uniforms and participate in ceremonies that develop self-discipline and foster pride. Most are boarding (residential) schools where the students live together and are part of a student-lead organization that helps each student develop competencies as a follower, team member, and leader. Students learn the importance of self-discipline, time management, and to work together with others as part of a team.”

What types of colleges are available?

There are Senior Military Colleges (4 year), colleges that offer ROTC programs, and Military Junior Colleges (2 year). Cadets have formation, physical training and wear their uniforms. For more information about the specific programs, you can check out these sites:

What is the military service obligation?

Two-year colleges, colleges and universities all offer programs leading to commissioning that include a service obligation. However, none of these programs are mandatory and many students participate in the school’s Corps of Cadets without incurring an obligation. The decisions whether to accept a commission is normally made at the beginning of the junior year.

Where can I get help or ask questions about military colleges?

As with any college information, going to the source is the best practice. Contact the admissions offices of each individual college for information, schedule a visit, and speak with an admissions officer.

Another excellent source for information is the Service Academy Forums. You can browse the FAQs, view the questions and answers already posted, and even post a question. Often these forums provide parents with answers to all of their questions.

The military can be an excellent choice for anyone desiring to serve their country. But you might want to consider a military college, giving students the military experience along with a strong education.

 

admissions, websites

50 More College Prep Websites

19 Comments

 

college prep websites
Recently I posted an updated version of 56 college info websites. Following are 50 more college prep websites to help with college prep and more.

Financial Aid

1. http://www.howtopayforcollegehq.com – Weekly podcast to help parents pay for college using debt free strategies.
2. https://collegeabacus.com – A financial aid calculator to help compare college net price calculators and determine the cost of college.
3. http://costoflearning.com – This tool gives college applicants and their families insight and clarity into understanding the TRUE cost of college.
4. http://www.collegemoneyman.com – A podcast with information for parents and students about financial aid and scholarships.
5. http://www.financialaidletter.com – Read real college financial aid award letters and get tips on decoding and translating them.
6. http://www.customcollegerankings.com – A powerful yet easy-to-use tool to help find and compare colleges.

College Searches

7. http://www.collegemeasures.org – Makes available key data through websites enabling users to make smarter college decisions.
8. https://statfuse.com – This tool helps students determine their chances of getting in to a specific college.
9. http://www.ctcl.org – College That Change Lives supports a student-centered college search process providing information on colleges that indeed change lives.
10. http://collegelists.pbworks.com/ – Wiki lists of all kinds of search criteria about the college search.
11. http://www.collegedata.com – An online tool to search for colleges, calculate your chances, track admissions, search for scholarships and more.
12. http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ – Get all the data and information on colleges before you make your college list.
13. http://www.collegeview.com/index.jsp – A search engine allowing you to choose specific categories related to college and gather information for the college list.
14. http://www.collegefactual.com – Find a college and a major that fits your student with an affordable degree you can use.
15. http://www.ratemyprofessors.com – Search and rate professors and scope out new ones for the upcoming semester; explore comprehensive database for school ratings, reviews and more.

College Planning

16. http://www.parenttoolkit.com – A toolkit that helps parents keep track of their child’s educational journey from PreK through high school.
17. http://www.sreducationgroup.org – Comprehensive information for students about their options for school.
18. http://www.ubind.co – A site where you can tour universities, bind with recruiters and plan for college.
19. http://www.college-connections.com – Expert college advice and educational consulting services to empower students for admissions success.
20. http://collegeappwizard.com – This tool walks you through each step of the college planning process and helps you organize all the information in one location.
21. http://collegeprepready.com – A college success coach that helps parents and students transition into college, providing them with tools to enter college prep with a competitive edge.
22. http://jlvcollegecounseling.com – College counselor who helps families through the college admission process.
23. http://www.collegeright.com – Helps students become savvy college shoppers and empower them to take control of the application process.
24. http://collegeconnect.info – Personalized college planning, guidance and support.
25. http://www.ivywise.com – Admissions counseling empowering students to reach their academic goals.
26. http://www.sixstepcollegeapplication.com – Admissions counseling with free downloads for parents and an excellent blog.
27. http://internationalcollegecounselors.com – Personalized college advice and counseling.
28. http://www.bestcollegefit.com – Advice for parents and students from an expert offering a blog, events and workshops.

Test Prep / Tutors

29. http://directhitseducation.com – Books and course to help prepare you for standardized tests.
30. http://www.edupath.com – An online test prep service that lets parents follow their teen’s training and progress.
31. http://www.mytowntutors.com – A tutoring resource for parents and a place where tutors can register.
32. http://preppedandpolished.com – In person or online tutoring and test prep to help with college admissions.
33. https://grockit.com – An online test prep service for students with personalized learning and analysis.
34. https://benchprep.com – Test prep platform offering interactive courses and personalized learning.

Scholarship Searches

35. http://scholarshipopportunity.org – A series of books and a search tool that features a comprehensive list of scholarships, internships, and fellowships for all demographics.
36. https://www.scholarshipexperts.com – A scholarship directory and search engine to help parents and students find free college money.

Essays

37. http://www.collegeessayorganizer.com – A search tool that delivers essay topics and helps students organize all essay questions in one place.
38. http://www.collegeessayguy.com – Free resources, one-on-one essay sessions, online webinars, and in-person workshops to help with the college essay.

Social Media

39. http://www.socialassurity.com – Helps teens, college students and athletes optimize their online presence.

Parent Information, Advice and Blogs

40. http://www.road2college.com – A blog for parents giving the scoop on college admissions and financing.
41. http://teenlife.com – Their mission is to help teens and their parents find and participate in meaningful learning opportunities (also provide an excellent blog with topics related to college prep)
42. http://knowsymoms.com – A place for college parents and pre-college parents to gather and read stories and advice from other parents. and get college advice.
43. http://www.collegeadmissionbook.com – Great information for parents and students about college admissions.
44. http://www.pocsmom.com – Expert insider advice from a parent on college prep and the parent role in the process.
45. http://www.morethanatestscore.com – A must read blog from Zinch for parents and students who are heading to college.
46. http://blog.thecollegeplanninggroup.com – Excellent blog with information for parents and students about college admissions.
47. http://www.collegeparents.org – A place for parents of the college-bound to ask and find answers about the college prep process.
48. http://www.harlancohen.com – Get advice from the author of several books about college and a mini-course for parents.

Textbooks

49. http://simplebookswap.com – Buy, sell and swap used  textbooks with local students.

Study Abroad

50. http://www.semesteratsea.org – A multiple country study abroad program with credits that transfer to college.

admissions, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: No Regrets

 

no regrets

No regrets. You know the feeling. It creeps up in the pit of your stomach after you’ve made a difficult decision. Life deals us many difficult decisions—the college choice is perhaps the first of many. After you send that acceptance off, especially if you had multiple offers, it’s common to wonder if the college you chose is indeed the best college for you.

We all have regrets

My daughter will tell you that after accepting an offer from her second choice college she had regrets. Was it a good idea to move so far away from home? Was the college going to provide her with a well-rounded education? After choosing a small college over a larger one, was it the best choice for her? She will also tell you that even though it wasn’t her first choice, she does not regret making the decision and is incredibly glad she chose the college she did.

Regrets aren’t productive

Embrace the decision and move forward. You can’t change the decisions you make, but you can make the most of them. Instead of worrying about your decision, decide to own it and plan for the future. Why waste your time regretting when you can spend your time looking forward?

“It’s better to have a whole bunch of “oh wells” than a life of ‘what ifs’ “

I love this quote. So many people choose not to decide because they fear making the wrong decision. I like to say there are no wrong decisions, only different paths. We often learn and grow from the decisions we make, even if the outcome isn’t what we anticipated. Life tends to throw us some curve balls every now and then.

After May 1st decision deadlines have come and gone, leave the regrets behind and look toward future possibilities.

Read Wendy’s post: 3 Steps Forward, Leaving Regrets Behind

____________________

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Sponsored posts

How Do You Choose a College?

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choose a collegeTeenagers. They have such a simplistic view of life. When you ask many of them about college, they reply, “All I need is a degree”. They don’t know where they want to attend or how to choose a college. Many haven’t even thought about it until senior year.

How DO you choose a college? Do you choose it with your heart and not your head? Partially. Is it all in a name? Not necessarily. Is about going to a college close to home? Possibly. Is it about finding a college with Greek life? Could be. All these factors could play into your student’s college choice, but before you randomly choose a college that is famous; or that your student’s friend is attending; or is affordable, you need to do your research.

Here are some key factors you should consider before you make that college list.

The cost

The cost of the college is certainly a consideration. However, it should not be the only one. Most college sticker prices are not the cost you will pay. Expensive colleges aren’t necessarily the best fit for your student. Before you make that college list, however, discuss with your student what you will be willing to pay and add colleges that fall close to or below that figure. Applying to a college that is beyond your family’s reach financially will only cause heartache if your student is accepted and you can’t afford to pay.

Financial aid

If financial aid is a concern, you should search for colleges that offer high percentages of financial aid, such as Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, offering financial aid to 84% of undergraduates, with the average financial aid package around $20,090.1 Facts and figures like this can narrow down the choices. Colleges that offer very little financial aid might not be a good fit for your student who needs help with college costs.

College majors offered

Your student may be interested in studying Asian History (like my son did); but is that a major that will be employable after graduation? For my son, it was not. Some may say that a degree is a degree, and on some levels many companies are simply looking for that diploma. But why spend four years studying something you won’t be able to use when you pursue a career?

In the current issue of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges 2014, you will find “11 Hot Majors That Can Lead to a Great Job.”2 If your student leans in any of these directions look for a college that has degrees in these fields:

  1. Biomedical Engineering
  2. Biometrics
  3. Forensic Science
  4. Computer Game Design
  5. Cybersecurity
  6. Data Science
  7. Business Analytics
  8. Petroleum Engineering
  9. Public Health
  10. Robotics
  11. Sustainability

Exploring the ROI (Return on Investment) of various careers is an important part of choosing a college.

Professor to student ratio

If your student has trouble focusing in class, is intimidated by large crowds, and needs more personal instruction to be academically successful, a large state university might need to be ruled out. There are plenty of small liberal arts colleges with great academic records and majors that would be a better fit for your student. When my daughter was choosing a college, our decision was highly dependent on this factor alone. Once we had found colleges that had low professor to student ratios, we were able to look at other key factors in making the decision.

Selectivity

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to go to Harvard. It’s the oldest and most prestigious university in the country and it is #2 in U.S. News rankings. Its name is instantly recognizable and equated with excellence. Unfortunately, Harvard is highly selective. The college offered admission to 5.9% of applicants this year. If your student doesn’t have all A’s and perfect SAT scores, Harvard is not for him.

However, there are many fine colleges that give credence to hard work and commitment. W. Kent Barnds, vice president of enrollment at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where the average GPA was 3.17, makes the point:3

I think really, to be quite honest, most colleges and universities are delighted to work with the student who has a good work ethic and has taken difficult classes and has earned that B average.

College truly is for everyone. If your student is an average student, don’t despair. Look for the colleges that will recognize his potential and see him as a viable applicant. Better yet, look for the colleges that he would be a top applicant in the applicant pool. This translates into more merit aid in the financial aid package.

What else should you consider?

In addition to these key factors, you might also want to consider location, student services, graduation rates, alumni network, study abroad programs, and available internships.

There is the emotional factor as well that responds to the college surroundings. Rebecca Ridings, class of 2013 says, “I followed my sister to John Brown University and was struck by the beauty of the campus’s blooming dogwoods and its peacefulness”. Yet another current college student, Isha Pandya, class of 2016, notes when speaking of Bryn Mawr College, “The school’s beautiful 19th-century stone buildings, green lawns and cherry blossom trees help to create a welcoming environment.”4

Even with all the right information in place and gathering facts and figures, choosing a college is more than just a college on paper. Most students will tell you that they just “knew” when they set foot on a college campus that it was right for them.

For my readers—if you’re interested in purchasing a copy of U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges 2014, use the coupon code: SCHOOL25.

______________

Best Colleges 20141. Excerpted from “Directory of Colleges and Universities”: in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2014. Available at usnews.com/college14. Copyright © 2013 U.S. News & World Report, L.P.; 2 Excerpted from “11 Hot Majors That Can Lead to a Great Job” (which provides additional information, including leading colleges that offer majors in these fields); 3. Excerpted from “What If You Don’t Have All A’s?”; 4. Excerpted from “Why I Picked . . .” All quotes Used by permission of U.S. News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved. U.S. News allows republication of this excerpt without specific written permission or payment of royalties, provided that the excerpt is republished in its entirety without any modifications and includes this notice. Please contact permissions@usnews.com with any questions.

This is a paid sponsored post.

 
admissions, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: Know When to Hold’em; Know When to Fold’em

 

making college decisionsIt’s coming down to the wire for making college decisions and you and your teen have to decide on a college by the May 1st deadline. For some families, it’s easy. For others, it’s emotional and gut wrenching. If your student got into their dream college and the money is there, congratulations. If your student was waitlisted, or there’s a financial issue, or they didn’t get an offer of admission to their first choice college it’s time to examine the deck. By doing this, you can help your teen make the best decision.

The wait list card

If your teen gets waitlisted, it’s time to fold. Even though some students do get off the waitlist, it’s too much of a gamble to take; especially if other colleges are offering admission. The risk you take is not worth the reward. Toss in the card and move on to the next hand.

The rejection card

Nobody likes this card. It’s a deal-breaker and you have no choice but to fold and move on. It’s disappointing but there is a better card in the deck.

The admission card

This is the payoff. With these cards you have a full house. Hold on to them and treat them as they are—winners. There are no losers with admission cards and even if they weren’t the cards you wanted they will reward you in the end. It’s from these cards that your teen will pick the college they attend. Evaluate their worth and look deeper into their face value. Your teen might discover a wild card in the bunch that trumps all the other cards in their hand.

The financial aid card

This is the high card, or the ace, because it improves your hand and increases your winnings. When colleges send this card to accepted students, the amount on the card is a direct indication of how much a college wants you to accept their offer of admission.

When your student mailed off their college applications, it was a gamble. They were all in and now it’s time to claim the winnings. The right college for the right price is a jackpot.

admissions, Zinch posts

Making the Final College Decision

 

college decision
photo from Zinch at MoreThanATestScore.com

May is quickly approaching. In just 20 short days your student will be required to choose which college they will be attending. For many, the choice is easy–they received an offer of admission from their first choice college. Or is it? Are there things you should consider? And what if your student didn’t receive an offer of admission from her first choice college? What are her options? How can she choose the right school for her and be happy? And here’s a kicker–what if she received an offer of admission to her dream college, but the money to pay for it just isn’t there?

All these questions, and more are answered in an article I wrote for Zinch about weighing your college options before making your final college decision. Following are the topics covered:

    1. Compare the financial differences
    2. Discuss the decision with others
    3. Ask questions
    4. Consider factors unrelated to the education
    5. Delve further into academics
    6. Explore the campus
    7. Make a pro/con list

The college your student attends is an important decision. Before you mail off that card to a college or accept online, you should weigh your options.

Read all the tips in Zinch’s article:

Weighing Your College Options

 

admissions, App Tuesday

7 College Search Apps for Parents and Students

 

college search appsEach Tuesday, I’m going to be providing parents and students with information on apps available for the college prep process. While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, these college search apps should help you and your student start and organize their college search.

1. Find Colleges-FREE

The Find Colleges search application makes it easy to search for information about U.S. colleges and universities. Developed by ThinkEducationUSA.com, this innovative app enables browsing by video, majors, size and tuition, or by state. This unique multimedia app features video profiles for some schools. It also provides web links as well as the ability to request more information directly from a school.

2. College Search Guide-FREE

This application is for anyone across the world looking to enroll in a college or university in the United States. Foreign students, high school students, current college students looking to transfer, parents, the working professional looking to go to grad school will find this application very useful. All information are 100% authentic from the US Department of Education.

This app is also available for android devices.

3. Campus Guide-College & University-$1.99

Powered by results from Foursquare, Campus Guide is the ideal student app to take with you to College or University. Find your way around College campuses, check-in with Foursquare and update your friends, family and other students via Twitter and Facebook. Visiting friends at a different College or University? With Campus guide there is no need to get lost or arrive late. Search for campus buildings, find address details and plan your route using the in-built map.

4. College Confidential-FREE

Read and interact with other users on topics like Financial Aid, College Life, Test Preparation, and more. Check messages, search topics and exchange private messages with other members. With access to millions of posts from students, parents, and experts in 700+ forums, you’ll find answers to all of your college-bound questions.

5. College-Bound-FREE

College-Bound eliminates the college stress by providing both students and parents with useful, every day, and up-to-the-minute, information on and about the entire college process. Professionals in all areas of the college planning and preparation process provide expert information on the following topics: Athletes and Recruiting, College Admissions, College Essays, College Travel, Financial Aid, Internships, NCAA Eligibility, SAT & ACT Preparation, SAT Essays, SAT Vocabulary and Scholarships.

The app is also available for android devices.

6. Fiske Interactive College Guide-$19.99

FISKE GUIDE TO COLLEGES has been the most trusted source of information for parents, counselors, and college-bound students. Now, the Fiske Interactive College Guide brings you every aspect of the book—plus much more—in an app! You’ll find the Fiske Interactive College Guide useful throughout the hectic, often stressful college search and selection process.

7. Peterson’s College Guide-FREE

Trying to find a college in the United States that matches your academic, social, and financial preferences? Mapping a college trip? Taking a college campus walking tour? Looking for university financial aid and tuition information? Seeking higher education statistics? This application includes over 60 official data points on over 4,000 two- and four-year colleges in the United States. From Harvard and UCLA to a community college near you, this application contains data on thousands of accredited institutions.

admissions, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: The Truth About College Rejection Letters

 

college rejection lettersIt was the worst of times; it was the best of times. The best of times—getting an offer of admission. The worst of times—getting a letter of rejection. Or is it really? Is there any way to spin the disappointment? Parents have dealt with their kids facing rejection throughout their lives, but there is no greater disappointment that losing what you feel is your dream—getting in to your dream college.

I know it’s tempting to spew platitudes like, “Everything happens for a reason”, or “I know how you feel”, or “They didn’t appreciate you.” But the reality is, all the platitudes in the world aren’t going to remove the disappointment. Once the dust has settled, however, it might be good to offer some words of wisdom from those “in the know” about the college admissions process.

I’ve found some very wise words from some very wise experts over the last several weeks. When the emotions subside and your college-bound teen is ready to talk, show them these words. It could open their eyes to the truth about college rejection letters.

Paul Hemphill is a noted college admission counselor and an expert in marketing college-bound teens to college and helping them win merit awards. Here’s what he had to say:

Because you are so talented – and this statement is for those who were rejected by their first-choices – you will be successful with your life. Like cream that rises to the top, so will you. Thousands of executives of major American corporations attended colleges no one has ever heard of, or dropped out; Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerbrrg come to mind. But what did they do? They focused on their dream, on what they wanted to do with their lives, just as you will. You will find what you love to do, and people will beat a path to your door wanting what you have to offer.

Follow your dream and ignore the noise of a culture focused on shallow and empty distractions. And accept the hard-bitten reality (it’ll take time) that, in the end, no one really cares about your losses or wins except those who love and cherish you for who you are and what you have already achieved.

What’s the take-away here? All through your life of achievement, which is a winning habit you have already started with the success you’ve had in high school, no one – NO ONE – will ask, “Where did you go to college?”

In 1968 in the Saturday Evening Post, author Joan Didion published an essay on being denied admission at Stanford University. It’s timeless commentary on dealing with rejection and the complex feelings stirred by that bitter pill many applicants face at some point in the application process. In it, she addresses the reality of college admissions. This is directed toward parents:

Getting into college has become an ugly business, malignant in its consumption and diversion of time and energy and true interests, and not its least deleterious aspect is how the children themselves accept it. They talk casually and unattractively of their “first, second and third choices,” of how their “first-choice” application (to Stephens, say) does not actually reflect their first choice (their first choice was Smith, but their adviser said their chances were low, so why “waste” the application?); they are calculating about the expectation of rejections, about their “backup” possibilities, about getting the right sport and the right extracurricular activities to “balance” the application, about juggling confirmations when their third choice accepts before their first choices answers. They are wise in the white lie here, the small self-aggrandizement there, in the importance of letters from “names” their parents scarcely know. I have heard conversations among 16-year-olds who were exceeded in their skill at manipulative self-promotion only by applicants for large literary grants.

And of course none of it matters very much at all, none of these early successes, early failures. I wonder if we had better not find some way to let our children know this, some way to extricate our expectations from theirs, some way to let them work through their own rejections and sullen rebellions and interludes with golf pros, unassisted by anxious prompting from the wings. Finding one’s role at 17 is problem enough, without being handed somebody else’s script.

And finally, here’s a pointed message for all seniors who are going to college from Mark Moody, Co-Director of College Counseling at Colorado Academy:

Now, and in your life to come, resist the urge to let membership in or exclusion from any institution define you or impact your self-image in either positive or negative ways. We are all susceptible to the power of names and outside validation, but I encourage you to develop a healthy suspicion of people who rely on those things to give meaning to their lives or to serve as markers of their superiority. When you dig past the veneer of status, they usually live their lives on a continuum somewhere between “emotionally stunted,” “boring,” “insecure,” “obnoxiously self-important,” and “spectacularly uncool.” The most interesting, truly accomplished and innovative people are not defined by others’ stories about them. They remain open to their own potential; importantly, they don’t take anyone else’s opinion, or themselves, too seriously. Try to be like that. Let your way of being in the world, your actions, your accountability, and your relationships be the things that meaningfully describe you, and which shape your possibilities for the future.

admissions, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: The College Power Shift

1 Comment

 

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy Daivd-Gaines and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from  http://www.parentingforcollege.com/ to http://www.pocsmom.com and vice versa.

__________________

power shiftMost parents feel that the college process is frustrating, because when it comes right down to it, they feel powerless. Either their student will be ecstatic at the end, or feel utter disappointment and rejection. It’s all in the colleges’ hands—or is it?

Steer clear of the fear

There’s nothing to be afraid of. Especially since you know that even the worst outcomes can be transformed into the best decisions. It’s not about whether or not college A or college B offers admission to your student. It’s about the education they will receive at “a” college. Teenagers can’t see the forest for the trees sometimes and they will pick up on your angst immediately. Make the process fun—like choosing a new car or buying a new house. It’s all about the journey.

Control is fleeting

If the colleges are in control, it’s only for a short time. The only time in which they have the power is at decision time. They look over your student’s application with a discerning eye and decide where to place your student: deferred, accepted, rejected or waitlisted. The process is completely subjective and while you make think there are bona fide reasons for your son or daughter to be accepted, it’s up to the college to decide whether he or she is a good fit. Translated—that means there are no “true” rejections, only a decision that it wasn’t the best match.

Get back into the driver’s seat

After the short time of waiting for the colleges’ decisions, you get to get back in the driver’s seat. You now have the power over the colleges. You are the consumer making a large purchase and it’s up to them to convince you. If they don’t back their offer of admission up with money, it might be time for you to put “them” in the rejection pile. And trust me, it feels GREAT!

Here’s the simple truth about the college process—you are ALWAYS in control. If you market your student properly, do your homework with the college choices, and realize that no matter what happens the final outcome will be what’s best for your student, it can help make the process enjoyable. Yes, I said enjoyable.

Interested in learning more about the power shift?

On #CampusChat tonight, Wednesday March 26 at 9pm ET/6pm PT, hosted by Wednesday’s Parent Wendy and me, Jeannie will share her tips to empower students and parents during each phase of the college process. Follow Jeannie @JeannieBorin, me @SuzanneShaffer and Wendy @pocsmom as we discuss the Student-College power shift with our wonderful #CampusChat buddies. Please join the conversation with your questions and comments.

Jeannie Borin is recognized by media, clientele and colleagues globally as a leader in college admissions consulting and new media. She is a Fr/ NYC and a Juilliard School of Music alumna, holds a Masters Degree in psychology, education and counseling, and is President of College Connections http://college-connections.com . She is a member of several prestigious educational organizations including the IECA, HECA, WACAC and NACAC.

Read this to learn how to join the chat.

Read Wendy’s blog for more info about the Student-College power shift.

admissions, college guidance, how to

How to Sift Through College Information

 

college informationCollege prep overload. If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, you’ve got it . . . big time. The high schools bombard you with information (which is usually very little concrete advice). The colleges bombard your student with beautiful brochures and promises of academic success if you attend their college. You are bombarded with tough financial choices when choosing the colleges that make the final cut on your student’s list.

How do you sift through all that college information without losing your mind?

Find a handful of good sources and go to them for answers.

You’ll go crazy if you try to read, watch and listen to every source available on the college prep process. How do you find the good sources? Glad you asked! I’ve compiled a list of resources in just about every category pertaining to the college prep process, along with a list of Twitter accounts to follow and a list of 50+ college info websites. Follow them on twitter, subscribe to their blogs and look for them on Facebook and Pinterest. By doing so, you won’t miss a thing and the amount of information you receive just got smaller.

Use Pinterest to save information on boards.

Pinterest is a great place to save and catalog all the information you find for future reference. It’s simple and easy to use, especially if you already have an account. You can set up boards for scholarships, financial aid, college admissions, college prep, and test prep. Once you set up the boards, start pinning!

Create a filing system that works for you.

All the information you collect won’t always be online. Create some sort of filing system for relevant college information and be vigilant in keeping it organized. Piles of papers and brochures create clutter and frustration when you’re looking for that flyer from the school on college parent night or a financial aid seminar. If you use a smartphone, there are multiple apps to help with organizing and remembering dates and deadlines.

Toss out ALL information that doesn’t apply to you or your college-bound teen.

If it’s not pertinent, don’t keep it. If you get a brochure from a college that doesn’t interest your student and never will, toss it. It’s just taking up space and adding clutter. Once you’ve cataloged information, toss the hard copy if you can.